Job Introduction
We are Forestry England.
We live and breathe forests.
Job title – Thetford Forest Apprentice Craftsperson
Salary- £24,492 per annum
Contract type – Two year fixed term appointment
Hours – 37 hours per week
Vacancy closes - 19th August, 23:58
Join us. We're foresters, professionals and experts. We are a passionate team who love to share our enthusiasm and want to make a positive difference for you and the environment.
Together, we’re using our scale and expertise to grow the nation’s forests for everyone. We’re already adapting our landscapes for tomorrow, and getting stuff done today, like creating amazing places and experiences for you to enjoy. We're providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air cleaner to breathe and producing sustainable timber.
What you’ll do…
This apprenticeship offers an exciting opportunity to gain practical skills working in a forest environment.
You will undertake a range of forest management operations such as timber mensuration, fencing, planting, weeding, pruning, tree felling and maintaining gateways. You’ll need self-motivation and personal resilience to complete these sometimes-repetitive manual tasks outdoors in all weathers.
You will work in remote locations, sometimes independently and sometimes as a member of a small team in remote locations. You’ll need to be organised, and able to follow verbal and written instructions so that work is delivered to the desired standard in a safe and timely way.
You will undertake the Forest Operative Level 3 apprenticeship and will be trained to obtain awards in:
- Emergency first aid at work (+F)
- Safe handling and application of pesticides
- Safe use of brush-cutters and strimmers
- Forestry clearing saw
- Chainsaw maintenance
- Crosscutting timber using a chainsaw
- Felling and processing trees up to 380mm
May include additional training for tractor-based operations if needed locally.
Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.
Where you’ll work
East England Forest District (EEFD), with over 150 directly employed staff, covers an area of 35,000 ha from North Norfolk to Brighton; including Thetford Forest and the outlying beats of Sandlings, Kent, East Sussex, Chilterns and Thames Chase. The apprentice roles will be based in Thetford Forest which is the largest lowland pine forest in the UK.
Thetford Forest is comprised of four beat teams. Each forest beat area is managed by a local team comprising a Forester, Work Supervisor, Forest Craftspeople. They are supported by locally based Wildlife Rangers and Community/Recreation Rangers. We are offering apprentice craftsperson roles in Thetford Forest to work alongside our existing craftsperson and beat teams to gain practical experience whilst following a structured training programme.
Benefits…
Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.
- 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
- STaR is our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
- free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
- a commitment to lifelong learning through career development. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.
Read more about the benefits on the Forestry England website.
How to apply…
We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.
You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.
The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –
- Working together
- Delivering at pace
- Quality
You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.
Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.
If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.
If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.
Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.
Nationality requirements…
Read more about nationality requirements here.
Working for the Civil Service…
Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative.
Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to provide conversation in accurate spoken English.
Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.
